Lakewood's water is continually tested to meet state and federal water quality standards.  The city publishes a comprehensive water quality report for residents each year.

To review the current water quality report online, click Lakewood Water or call the Water Resources Department at 562-866-9771, extension 2700.

Rusty water

Water may occasionally become discolored or rusty due to water main breaks, damage to a fire hydrant, or after water mains are flushed.  These problems usually show up in your home as discolored or rusty water from your faucet or shower.

This water merely contains sediments and rust due to sudden changes in pressure in the system.  Do not drink this water.  Do not wash clothes because the rust may cause stains.

If your water is rusty or discolored, or if your laundry shows signs of rust stains, call the Water Resources Department at 562-866-9771.

 For help with your city water or trash bill, call Administrative Service's customer service desk at 562-866-9771, extension 2630.  The customer service desk also can start water service, take a report of a water leak, or close your water and trash account.

To report a water leak, call the Water Resources Department at 562-866-9771, extension 2700.  After business hours, call 562-866-9771.

The Golden State Water a private water company, serves residents who live east of the San Gabriel River.  To request water service from Golden State Water, call 800-999-4033.

Rusty water

Water may occasionally become discolored or rusty due to water main breaks, damage to a fire hydrant, or after water mains are flushed.  These problems usually show up in your home as discolored or rusty water from your faucet or shower.

This water merely contains sediments and rust due to sudden changes in pressure in the system.  Do not drink this water.  Do not wash clothes because the rust may cause stains.

If your water is rusty or discolored, or if your laundry shows signs of rust stains, call the Water Resources Department at 562-866-9771.

For the convenience of Lakewood residents, the City's trash hauler, EDCO/BZ Disposal, Offers an on-call service to pick up bulky items. This  service is designed to help residents dispose of oversized or overweight household items, such as old mattresses, water heaters, sofas, stoves, rugs, washing machines,and chairs that don't fit in your trashcan.

Residents may request up to six (6) FREE  pickups per year. Call EDCO/BZ Disposal at (562) 531-3054 by 3:30 p.m. the day before your regular trash day to schedule a pickup. Collection of televisions, computers, and other e-waste is included in this program.

Some items cannot be picked up.

They include:

• Old auto parts
• Machinery and other industrial discards
• Oil, grease, and other liquids
• Building materials such as bricks, lumber, old roofing materials, dirt,and broken concrete
• Excessively large items, such as whole tree trunks and large limbs

For hazardous waste like paint, oil, and household chemicals, go online to http://www.888cleanla.com or call (888) CLEAN-LA for a schedule of County-sponsored HHW/E-Waste roundups.

(If trash collection is part of your apartment or condominium rent or lease, there is a nominal cost and some limitations on this service. Call EDCO/BZ Disposal at 562-531-3054 for assistance.)

Lakewood will donate your usable discards

Lakewood's bulky item pick-up program is taking on a new dimension, thanks to grant funding from the California Integrated Waste Management Board.  The expanded program is the first of its kind in the state.

Users of the service won't see any change for bulky item collection. The program will continue to pick up construction and demolition materials, furniture, electronics, and household appliances and equipment.

The items that are reusable will be diverted to charitable organizations, thrift stores, repair facilities, and shelters to accept the reusable items. That means less trash in the landfill and a steady stream of reusable household items for repair and resale.

To schedule a pick up, contact EDCO/BZ Disposal at 562-531-3054 one day in advance of your regular trash collection day.  Be prepared to describe your discards, if they are in working condition or not.

While the donation program can't tell you the reuse destination of your donated items, you will find a current list at lakewoodcity.org or you can call 562-866-9771, extension 2500.

Dumpsters

If you plan a major remodeling, clean up, or landscaping job, you may need a dumpster trash container or roll-off bin. To rent a bin, call EDCO/BZ Disposal at 562-531-3054. Edco/BZ Disposal is the only company in Lakewood that has a county encroachment permit allowing a dumpster to be placed in the street.

The cashier's counter in the lobby of city hall is open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays (5:00 p.m. on open Fridays) for water and trash customer service, payment of parking citations issued in Lakewood, building permit and plan check fee payments, and business license applications.  Payments can be made with a credit card.

After-hours water and trash payments can be deposited in the night box at the west entrance of city hall.

 Click here to get the latest on Lakewood's new curbside recycling program.

The city also sponsors mixed waste paper recycling at apartment and condominium complexes and at the city's retail businesses. 

Keeping green while disposing of trash requires knowing the new rules for discards. Discards that contain metals and industrial chemicals should not be casually thrown away. In fact, under current California law, some household items are now illegal to discard without special precautions.

Learn how to appropriately get rid of light bulbs, batteries, chemicals, medicines and e-waste and other discards that need special care in disposal? With a little advance planning, you'll find that it's simple to dispose of trash that’s special.

Click for more information

For the location of the collection center nearest your home call 562-866-9771, extension 2500.

Composting

Grass clippings and garden trimmings can be turned into useful garden mulch using an inexpensive home-composting unit.  The city sells composter units and offers free advice for home composters.

Greenwaste collection

Lakewood offers a free, convenient way to recycle garden greenwaste through collection stations at the Water Resources Department.  The program accepts grass clippings (in bags or tarps that can be emptied in the bin), tree and shrub trimmings, and landscape debris.  The collected greenwaste is mulched and used for daily cover at the county landfill.

For the dates and times of greenwaste collection events, click Recycling or call 562-866-9771, extension 2500.

Household hazardous waste collection

Lakewood residents can safely dispose of household hazardous waste items free of charge at a Household Hazardous Waste Roundups throughout the year.  In general, roundups can accept up to 15 gallons of liquid or 125 pounds of discards per household.

TV sets and computer monitors are hazardous waste, too.

For more information, call the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works at 888-CLEAN-LA or visit the county's Website

 No parking during street sweeping is enforced in all Lakewood neighborhoods. The fine for illegal parking is $30.

Getting a clean sweep of city streets requires some “good neighbor” habits:

1. Park cars off the street on sweeping day.

2. Sweep up leaves for disposal in the trash. Even vacuum sweepers can't plow through mounds of leaves. The sweeper is forced to drive around them – which is frustrating for both the driver and the homeowner. Even worse, by maneuvering around piles of leaves, some parts of the street are left unswept.

3. Pick up grass clippings for mulching, composting, or disposal in the trash. Good neighbors don't sweep grass litter into the street. 

4. Avoid heavy watering the night before street sweeping day. The sweeper units can't handle pools of standing water.

 Lakewood's trash collection contractor is EDCO/BZ Disposal, which also provides the Dial-A-Dump bulky item collection service and rental of dumpster bins.

Click here for the latest information about Lakewood's new trash and recycling programs

In March of 2010 Lakewood’s waste collection contractor is delivering new gray carts for all household trash that is neither recyclable nor green waste. Click for FAQs

The new carts will be delivered on your regular trash day.

And on your next trash day, recyclables will go in the blue cart you received in October 2009. Other (non-recyclable) trash will go in the gray cart. And garden and lawn clippings will go in the metal or plastic cans you formerly used for all of your trash.

Lakewood’s trash collection contractor provides each household with a large gray cart for trash and a smaller blue cart for recyclable materials.

 The Southern California Edison Company and The Gas Company serve all Lakewood homes.  The city is divided into service areas for telephone and water utilities.

Consult the white pages of your telephone book for the current gas and electricity service numbers.